Mass Transfer Resistance (mass + transfer_resistance)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Removal of H2S and volatile organic sulfur compounds by silicone membrane extraction

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
I. Manconi
Abstract BACKGROUND: This study explores an alternative process for the abatement and/or desulfurization of H2S and volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSC) containing waste streams, which employs a silicone-based membrane to simultaneously remove H2S and VOSC. An extractive membrane reactor allows the selective withdrawal of VOSC and H2S simultaneously from the waste stream, while preventing direct contact between the waste stream and the absorbing solution and/or the biological treatment system. The influence of the sulfur compounds, membrane characteristics, extractant and pH was studied. RESULTS: Sulfide and the VOCS studied, i.e. methanethiol (MT), ethanethiol (ET) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) were removed from the synthetic wastewater using a silicone rubber membrane. Methanethiol showed the highest (8.72 × 10,6 m s,1) overall mass transfer coefficient (kov) and sulfide the lowest kov value (1.23 × 10,6 m s,1). Adsorption of the VOCS into the silicone membrane reduced the overall mass transfer coefficient. The kov when using Fe(III)EDTA, as extractant (5.81 × 10,7 m s,1) for sulfide extraction was one order of magnitude lower than with anaerobic water (2.54 × 10,6 m s,1). On the other hand, the sulfide removal efficiency with Fe(III)EDTA, was higher (84%) compared with anaerobic water (60%) as extractant. An additional mass transfer resistance was formed by elemental sulfur which remained attached to the membrane surface. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction of sulfide and VOCS from a synthetic wastewater solution through a silicone rubber membrane is a feasible process as alternative to the techniques developed to treat VOSC emissions. Optimizing the aqueous absorption liquid can increase the efficiency of extraction based processes. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Design of mixed conducting ceramic membranes/reactors for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009
Xiaoyao Tan
Abstract The performance of mixed conducting ceramic membrane reactors for the partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas has been analyzed through a two-dimensional mathematical model, in which the material balance, the heat balance and the momentum balance for both the shell and the tube phase are taken into account. The modeling results indicate that the membrane reactors have many advantages over the conventional fixed bed reactors such as the higher CO selectivity and yield, the lower heating point and the lower pressure drop as well. When the methane feed is converted completely into product in the membrane reactors, temperature flying can take place, which may be restrained by increasing the feed flow rate or by lowering the operation temperature. The reaction capacity of the membrane reactor is mainly determined by the oxygen permeation rate rather than by the POM reaction rate on the catalyst. In order to improve the membrane reactor performance, reduction of mass transfer resistance in the catalyst bed is necessary. Using the smaller membrane tubes is an effective way to achieve a higher reaction capacity, but the pressure drop is a severe problem to be faced. The methane feed velocity for the operation of mixed conducting membrane reactors should be carefully regulated so as to obtain the maximum syngas yield, which can be estimated from their oxygen permeability. The mathematical model and the kinetic parameters have been validated by comparing modeling results with the experimental data for the La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-, (LSCF) membrane reactor. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source]


Explaining the enhanced performance of pulsed bioreactors by mechanistic modeling

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008
Amaya Franco
Abstract In this work, steady-state mass balance based models were applied to two UASB reactors and three UAF for a better understanding of the role of pulsation on the efficacy improvement. Models were defined taking into account the hydraulic behavior of each digester and the limiting mechanism of the overall process kinetics (mass transfer or biochemical reaction rate). The application of the model allows to identify that mass transfer was the controlling step in all the reactors, except for the nonpulsed UASB, where methanogenic activity controlled the reactor performance in the last operation steady states. Mass transfer coefficients were higher for pulsed reactors and, in general, a good agreement between those estimated by an empirical correlation and from the model was obtained. Damköhler number values supported that the external mass transfer resistance was not negligible with respect to the process kinetic and in addition, in most cases, it controls the overall process in the reactors. The relative importance of external and internal mass transfer rate was calculated through the Biot number. The values of this dimensionless module indicated that external transport was the main contributor to overall mass transfer resistance. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008 [source]


A novel biphasic extractive membrane bioreactor for minimization of membrane-attached biofilms

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 1 2003
Antonietta Splendiani
Abstract Extractive membrane bioreactor (EMB) systems offer a means of biologically treating wastewaters, but, like other membrane processes, are constrained by their tendency to be fouled by membrane-attached biofilms (MABs). This study describes a new approach to eradicate MAB formation and accumulation in EMB systems. To this end, an innovative EMB configuration, the biphasic extractive membrane bioreactor (BEMB), has been developed. In BEMB systems, the two main constituents of the EMB process, membrane and bacteria, are kept separated and interact via a suitable recirculating solvent. Nineteen candidate solvents were tested to assess their suitability for BEMB application. Based on the results of the solvent selection, guidelines are provided to screen solvents for BEMB application. BEMB and EMB runs were carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of BEMB technology in avoiding MAB accumulation and to compare BEMB and EMB performance. A synthetic wastewater containing monochlorobenzene (MCB) was used as a model system. Abiotic BEMB and EMB runs were carried out and used as comparative references for estimating the effect of MAB accumulation on system performance. MAB thickness in the BEMB systems was controlled at 18 ,m during 1 month of operation, whereas, in the EMB systems, MAB thickness reached 1250 ,m. Analysis of mass transport in EMB and BEMB systems revealed that the high affinity of the permeating molecules for the solvent may contribute to a reduction in shell-side mass transfer resistance. This reduction of shell-side mass transfer resistance and the absence of MAB accumulation led to overall mass transfer coefficients of about sevenfold greater (4.5 × 10,5 m s,1) in the BEMB system than in the EMB system (0.6 × 10,5 m s,1). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 83: 8,19, 2003. [source]


Intrinsic Oxygen Use Kinetics of Transformed Plant Root Culture

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 3 2001
Patrick T. Asplund
Root meristem oxygen uptake, root tip extension rate, and specific growth rate are assessed as a function of dissolved oxygen level for three transformed root cultures. The influence of hydrodynamic boundary layer was considered for all measurements to permit correlation of oxygen-dependent kinetics with the concentration of oxygen at the surface of the root meristem. Oxygen uptake rate is shown to be saturated at ambient conditions, and a saturation level of approximately 300 ,mole O2/(cm3 tissue·hr) was observed for all three of these morphologically diverse root types. In nearly all cases, the observation of a minimum oxygen pressure, below which respiration, extension, or root growth would not occur, could be accounted for as a boundary layer mass transfer resistance. The critical oxygen pressure below which respiration declines is below saturated ambient oxygen conditions. In contrast, critical oxygen pressures for root tip extension were much higher; extension was nearly linear for the two thicker root types (Hyoscyamus muticus, henbain; Solanum tuberosum, potato) above ambient oxygen levels. The performance of the thinnest root, Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) was consistent with reduced internal limitations for oxygen transport. Extension rates did not correlate with biomass accumulation. The fastest growing henbain culture (, = 0.44 day,1) displayed the slowest extension rate (0.16 mm/hr), and the slowest growing mustard culture (, = 0.22 day,1) had the fastest tip extension rate (0.3 mm/hr). This apparent paradox is explained in terms of root branching patterns, where the root branching ratio is shown to be dependent upon the oxygen-limited mersitem extension rate. The implications of these observations on the performance of root culture in bioreactors is discussed. [source]


Activated Carbon Adsorbent for the Aqueous Phase Adsorption of Amoxicillin in a Fixed Bed

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 4 2010
N. J. R. Ornelas
Abstract Equilibrium constant and mass transfer parameters are needed for the study of amoxicillin separation in any process involving adsorption in fixed beds. In this work, the adsorption of amoxicillin and 6-aminopenillanic acid in aqueous solution on activated carbon were studied using static adsorption tests. The adsorption capacity was found to be strongly dependent on the pH of the aqueous phase. The adsorption constants, overall mass transfer coefficients, and axial dispersion coefficients for amoxicillin and 6-aminopenillanic acid were determined, by moment analysis, from a series of step tests in a fixed bed packed with activated carbon. The total bed voidage and axial dispersion coefficient were estimated from blue dextran pulse test data at different flow rates. The results show that adsorption intensity increased with increasing temperature. Furthermore, the increasing trend of HETP with velocity suggests that axial dispersion and mass transfer resistance control the column efficiency. [source]


Effect of Modified Enzymatic Catalysis on the Extraction of Diosgenin from Dioscorea zingiberensis C.,H.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 11 2007
Wright
Abstract Multi-enzymatic catalysis combined with acid hydrolysis is studied in order to enhance the efficiency of the enzymatic catalysis and reduce the mass transfer resistance from starch and cellulose in the extraction of diosgenin from Dioscorea zingiberensis C.,H. Wright. The cellulase is modified by polyethylene to increase its optimal reaction temperature and pH value. The modified cellulase shows better thermostability and resistance to alkali. The modified cellulase, , -amylase and , -glycosidase are used to construct the multi-enzyme and multi-enzyme catalysis is used as a pretreatment process. Compared to primary industrial techniques including acid hydrolysis, spontaneous fermentation and enzymatic catalysis, conventional techniques are optimized by using multi-enzymatic catalysis together with acid hydrolysis because of the higher reaction efficiency and lower levels of manipulation required. The purity of the product is more than 96,% with this technique, and the melting point is 205,207,°C. The diosgenin yield rate and the extraction rate reached are 2.43,% and 98,%, respectively. IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy were used to confirm the structure of the product. [source]


Development and experimental validation of a conceptual model for biotrickling filtration of H2S

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 2 2003
Seongyup Kim
A dynamic model that describes the behavior of high-performance hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-degrading biotrickling filters for odor control was developed. The model attempts to accurately describe pollutant mass transfer in the biotrickling filter, i.e., external mass transfer resistances, and both direct gas-biofilm and gas-liquid-biofilm mass transfer were considered. In order to calibrate the model, an innovative differential biotrickling filter was constructed in which the effect of air velocity on the removal of H2S could be studied. Model outputs were compared with experimental data to determine the sensitivity of the system to selected parameters. At low H2S concentration, diffusion of H2S within the biofilm, and biofilm thickness were the major governing factors among nine considered model parameters. At higher H2S concentrations and lower air flow rates, external mass transfer played a very important role. This new finding, confirmed experimentally, has important implications, as it proves that the performance limit of H2S degrading biotrickling filters has not yet been reached. [source]


Study of the Kinetics and Morphology of Gas Hydrate Formation

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 8 2006

Abstract The kinetics and morphology of ethane hydrate formation were studied in a batch type reactor at a temperature of ca. 270,280,K, over a pressure range of 8.83,16.67,bar. The results of the experiments revealed that the formation kinetics were dependant on pressure, temperature, degree of supercooling, and stirring rate. Regardless of the saturation state, the primary nucleation always took place in the bulk of the water and the phase transition was always initiated at the surface of the vortex (gas-water interface). The rate of hydrate formation was observed to increase with an increase in pressure. The effect of stirring rate on nucleation and growth was emphasized in great detail. The experiments were performed at various stirring rates of 110,190,rpm. Higher rates of formation of gas hydrate were recorded at faster stirring rates. The appearance of nuclei and their subsequent growth at the interface, for different stirring rates, was explained by the proposed conceptual model of mass transfer resistances. The patterns of gas consumption rates, with changing rpm, have been visualized as due to a critical level of gas molecules in the immediate vicinity of the growing hydrate particle. Nucleation and decomposition gave a cyclic hysteresis-like phenomena. It was also observed that a change in pressure had a much greater effect on the rate of decomposition than it did on the formation rate. Morphological studies revealed that the ethane hydrate resembles thread or is cotton-like in appearance. The rate of gas consumption during nucleation, with different rpm and pressures, and the percentage decomposition at different pressures, were explained precisely for ethane hydrate. [source]


Reactor Modeling of Gas-Phase Polymerization of Ethylene

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 11 2004
A. Kiashemshaki
Abstract A model is developed for evaluating the performance of industrial-scale gas-phase polyethylene production reactors. This model is able to predict the properties of the produced polymer for both linear low-density and high-density polyethylene grades. A pseudo-homogeneous state was assumed in the fluidized bed reactor based on negligible heat and mass transfer resistances between the bubble and emulsion phases. The nonideal flow pattern in the fluidized bed reactor was described by the tanks-in-series model based on the information obtained in the literature. The kinetic model used in this work allows to predict the properties of the produced polymer. The presented model was compared with the actual data in terms of melt index and density and it was shown that there is a good agreement between the actual and calculated properties of the polymer. New correlations were developed to predict the melt index and density of polyethylene based on the operating conditions of the reactor and composition of the reactants in feed. [source]